1. Defensive end. Seattle’s defensive line is well-stocked with big brontosaurus-looking run stuffers like Brandon Mebane and Red Bryant. Improving third-down defense requires an improved pass rush, and Chris Clemons was the only Seahawk to finish with more than four sacks last season.

2. Linebacker. The Seahawks lost their leading tackler the previous three seasons when they let David Hawthorne walk as a free agent. That leaves a void in the middle. With all Seattle has spent on linebackers from Lofa Tatupu to Aaron Curry, Hawthorne is the only player at that position to have 100 tackles in any of the past three seasons.

3. Wide receiver. For all the money Seattle spent to acquire receiver Sidney Rice and tight end Zach Miller, and all the hope the Seahawks piled on Golden Tate, it was an undrafted rookie, Doug Baldwin, who led the team in catches last year. The Seahawks need another home-run threat for an offense that ranked 28th in yardage last season.

TARGETING

Signing Matt Flynn lessened the pressure on Seattle to choose a quarterback early in this draft, but the Seahawks wouldn’t hesitate to pick Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill were he still available at No. 12. Seattle doesn't expect him to be on the board, though, and while a lot of people are expecting Seattle to target Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly given the Seahawks’ need for a middle linebacker, general manager John Schneider sees good depth at that position in this year's draft.

South Carolina’s Melvin Ingram has the kind of versatility that coach Pete Carroll loves in a defensive lineman, and the fact that he’s played some tackle only makes him more intriguing were he available. North Carolina’s Quinton Coples has all the specs a team could want in a 4-3 rush end, but he comes from a program whose recent defensive-line products haven’t exactly distinguished themselves in the NFL. Seattle chose defensive lineman E.J. Wilson from the school in 2010 only to waive him during his first season. Still, Coples’ talent would make him tough for Seattle to pass at No. 12.

THE TAKE

“When you look at the draft in particular and some of the areas in free agency that we’ve addressed, I think it’s put us in a position to just let the draft kind of come to us and not feel like we need to move around or not do anything that would put the organization in jeopardy in any one position.” —Schneider